Dog Attacks

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If you are attacked by a dog, you should seek medical or veterinary treatment as a priority.

When safe to do so, you must report the attack to the relevant council. You can contact Campbelltown City Council's General Inspectors on 8366 9252. If you’re not sure which Council to contact, you can find a map of South Australia’s council boundaries here.

Like all serious incidents, time is a critical factor in dealing with dog attacks. This is especially important if the offending dog is wandering at large and still poses a risk to the public or other animals. To help Council's Inspectors, please try to gather the following information before contacting Council:

The date, time and exact location of the attack. If you’re not sure, use your GPS equipped smart phone to check on a map.

Depending on the Severity of the Attack, Council's Can:

Impose a control order (Nuisance, Dangerous Dog, Menacing Dog, or Destruction Order).

The maximum penalty for a dog attack is $2,500.

Preventing Dog Bites

Dogs bite for many reasons. The most common reasons are fear, pain or confusion when mixing with people and other dogs. Ignoring signs of aggression can result in serious injury to you, a member of your family or others. You can discourage biting by:

Socialising your dog from an early age so that it learns how to mix with other dogs and other people in public.

Avoiding situations that may cause your dog to become nervous or anxious.

Training your dog - obedience classes help you learn about your dog, its body language and how you can communicate with it.

Desexing your dog. Research shows that, on average an entire dog is more aggressive. Note that desexing dog will be mandatory (with exemptions) from 1 July 2018.